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| Bruce Gagnon bringing this truth to a 350.org march in Portland, Maine. Environmental activists ignore the Pentagon's carbon footprint at their peril because the military is a HUGE contributor to greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. |
Local peaceworkers will be on hand to protest the show from 9am to noon.
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| Image: ARRT! |
Those Dirty Blue Angels
Dear San Francisco Chronicle Editors:
At a time when climate change is front and center as a global concern, in a state that is the front runner in addressing the US's global warming mitigation strategies, in a city which has created a Climate Action Plan with the goals of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2012, what are the Blue Angels doing performing in San Francisco, CA?
According to the Blue Angels and US Navy's own webeites, one F/A-18 uses approximately 8,000 pounds or 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel during a show and over the course of a year, including transportation, training, etc., the squadron, including Fat Albert, burns approximately 3.1 million gallons of fuel.
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| Image: Anthony Freda |
Using jet fuel carbon emissions estimates provided by Earthlab to be 23.88 pounds of CO2 per gallon*, each Blue Angel flight produces 31,044 lbs of CO2, with a total yearly emissions of 740 million lbs of CO2 over the United States. With four scheduled shows with six planes each per show during Fleet week, that would be 745,056 lbs of CO2 emitted over San Francisco in a two-day period, not including practice flights.
I hope that when San Francisco became the first city in the US to certify its greenhouse gas emissions, it didn?t forget to include its yearly guests, the Blue Angels.
In a state of shock and awe,
Elizabeth Dougherty October 5, 2007
*Source Information:
http://www.navy.com/about/navylife/onduty/blueangels/faq/
http://www.navy.com/about/navylife/onduty/blueangels/faq/%3E
http://www.blueangels.com/faq.shtm
http://www.earthlab.com/carboncalculations.html
http://www.earthlab.com/carboncalculations.html%3E
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As seen in the photo above, the Blue Angels burned napalm on the runway as a grand finale during their last show in Brunswick.
I've heard from several people objecting to air shows like the Blue Angels. I object to the carbon footprint while many who live around air show venues cite the high levels of noise that everyone in the area experiences.
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Mainer Joe Ciarocca had an op-ed in the Bath-Brunswick Times Record with links to the health risks of exposure to excessive levels of noise and vibration. Joe wrote:
Some people will attend this air show with the attitude, “it’s only for an afternoon and everything will be okay and we will survive.” Are we so easily entertained that we would buy into something that’s not safe...?
On a daily basis we are exposed to much noise and air pollution. We have become acclimated to and have normalized this condition.
If you object to the Blue Angels air show in Brunswick, you can contact the Maine Regional Redevelopment Authority which manages the venue in Brunswick:
MRRA OFFICE
15 Terminal Road, Suite 200
Brunswick, ME 04011
Phone: 207-798-6512
Fax: 207-798-6510
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm. Closed on major holidays.
Brunswick, ME 04011
Phone: 207-798-6512
Fax: 207-798-6510
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm. Closed on major holidays.
Or use their online contact form here. Or contact them via twitter (@mrramaine) or on their facebook page.
Contact the Town of Brunswick:
Brunswick Town Hall, 85 Union Street, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Phone: (207) 725-6659
Contact your Maine state representatives and senators:
Website with contact info: maine.gov/legis/contact.htm
Contact Maine’s representatives and senators in Washington DC:
(202) 224-3121 Capitol switchboard to reach Rep. Pingree, Rep. Poliquin, Sen. King & Sen. Collins
Write a letter to the editor:
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